ISSN:
1365-2559
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
In a recent study we described a population of small epithelial cells (SEC) in human hepatoblastoma that exhibit ultrastructural features of the oval cells of rodents. Both SEC and oval cells are immunoreactive for cytokeratin 7, a marker of biliary differentiation, and it was postulated that SEC, like oval cells, are closely related to hepatic stem cells. This study was undertaken to investigate whether SEC also exhibit immunolabelling for albumin, a marker of hepatocytic differentiation, and to determine whether other antigens typical of oval cells are detectable in hepatoblastoma.〈section xml:id="abs1-2"〉〈title type="main"〉Methods and results:Hepatoblastomas of various subtypes were investigated by electron microscopy, and by immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal antibodies OV-1 and OV-6, which recognize antigens associated with oval cells. Double-labelling for cytokeratin 7 and albumin was carried out by immuno-electron microscopy. OV-1 stained scattered cells in seven of 12 tumours investigated and OV-6 in nine. On immunoelectron-microscopic investigation, SEC exhibited labelling for both cytokeratin 7 and albumin.〈section xml:id="abs1-3"〉〈title type="main"〉Conclusions:The results demonstrate that antigens associated with oval cells are found in certain cells in hepatoblastoma. SEC, like oval cells, co-express markers for hepatocytic and biliary differentiation. The findings further support the hypothesis that SEC are closely related to the putative bipotent hepatic stem cell, which, by definition, gives rise to both hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2559.1997.2750870.x
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